Syria: No-fly zone needed, says rebel leader

Syrian rebel fighters pose on a destroyed army tank in the northern town of Atareb, 15 miles east of Syria's second largest city Aleppo, on July 31, 2012.

Abdelbasset Sida, head of the Syrian National Council and Syrian opposition chief, said today that Syrian rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad needed a no-fly zone, according to Reuters.

Yesterday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US and Turkey had discussed the possibility of instituting a no-fly zone. But she added:

"It is one thing to talk about all kinds of potential actions, but you cannot make reasoned decisions without doing intense analysis and operational planning. Our intelligence services, our military have very important responsibilities and roles to play so we are going to be setting up a working group to do exactly that."

On July 28 Sida said, “Our friends and allies will bear responsibility for what is happening in Aleppo if they do not move soon."